Broken Dreams
by UniversalMadnessDefined6
Summary: Entrusted with the task of training Uzumaki Naruto Itachi Uchiha must work hard to turn him into an impenetrable warrior of Konoha and an emotionless shinobi that can withstand anything. But with the threat of the Uchiha, the neighbouring villages and the council looming over them. Its only a matter of time before something or someone breaks. AU: No pairings as of yet.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto sadly that is Kishimoto Sama's property. So Enjoy my feeble attempt to do him justice.

Konoha was a prosperous and peaceful village, but deep inside the central of Konoha were those peacekeepers.

ANBU. The elite. The feared. The crème de la crème if you may. However every one of them had their own dirty little secrets. Things that would make even war veterans cringe. This was primarily the reason as to why they didn't coerce with the civilians.

They kept their distance, always in the shadows, watching for any signs of danger. Their katanas the only sign of their visible power.

Many people feared the ANBU. Many ANBU's feared other ANBU's; however fear was a foreign notion to one Itachi Uchiha. Child prodigy and former boy wonder, his dark eyes surveyed you with cool detachment, and his raven black hair the universal sign of his lineage. Graduating the academy at age 7 he had surprised his teachers and instilled a deep and contrasting proud ness in his father. But Itachi did not stop there, he quickly attained the rank of Chunin swiftly moving onto Jonin, and ending at ANBU captain. Bigger men cowered in fright in the presence of the Uchiha Heir.

His only goal- To become stronger.

It was with this mindset that we find Itachi, resting on a lone tree, the moon illuminating his figure and casting him in a threatening light.

Swhip-Swhip

Itachi methodically sharpened his katana, his hands moving in a monotone rhythm. Training ground 44 was silent apart from the sound of Itachi's blade. His eyebrows twitched and his steady rhythm was disrupted as he recalled his conversation with the Third hokage.

Not many things could anger the Uchiha prodigy, he was after all known for his cool indifference to everything. His father and lack of training being the only exception.

It was for this reason that he was suitably annoyed, the third hokage had summoned him earlier in the day and that was when his day progressed from good, to downright dreadful.

*0600 Hours*

Uchiha Itachi entered the Hokage's building, walking up the stairs and nodding his head when he heard the occasional greeting of,

"Taicho," and "Uchiha-san."

He had just walked up to the Hokage's secretary who was batting her eyelashes a bit too much to be considered normal.

"The Hokage's expecting you Uchiha-san." She smiled tapping her clipboard and sashaying away from him.

Itachi just shook his head – He would never be able to understand kunoichi. He doubted anybody could, ninja problems and shuriken angles were a doddle for Itachi but give him a simpering fan girl and he wouldn't be able to give you a decisive way of handling the situation.

"Enter" came the muffled voice from behind the door, effectively snapping him out of his reverie.

Opening the door Itachi slowly approached the desk bowing and removing his mask as a sign of respect.

The hokage tiredly brushed away the missives on his desk, reaching for an off color yellow scroll.

It was that time of the month where all the complaints from the villagers would come in, about a certain filthy brat who was conveniently annoying half of the Konoha population.

"I know this is short notice Uchiha-san, but I am requesting you for a long term mission." The hokage explained leaning back on his chair.

Itachi didn't really have much to add at this point so he let the hokage continue.

"This may seem like a trivial task however the long term effects will be advantageous to the village."

The third walked towards the large window that took up the far side of his room, and glanced pensively at the resting village. He could hear the shouts and cries of the Konoha's sales men and traders beginning their business. If only they could be so carefree when it comes to Naruto, he wistfully thought.

"Are you familiar with the name Uzamaki Naruto?" He questioned

Itachi's face remained impassive as he looked up at the hokage.

"The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki" The third nodded.

"That is correct are you also aware that the council is deliberating whether or not to scrap him from the ninja programme entirely." He said his drawn eyebrows clearly showing his displeasure.

Itachi shook his head; he knew the village and the council hated the Jinchuuriki. They didn't exactly hide it after all. But to take away the choice of his career. Those old coots were just asking for a hateful and bitter Jinchuuriki, if they didn't watch their step Itachi was sure that they would do more harm then good. Besides they were practically leaving him defenseless. The Hokage seemed to be having similar thoughts, as the table in front of Itachi gave a painful squeak from the force of the Sandaime's hands.

"It is imperative that Naruto is not left defenseless, therefore I am entrusting you with the task of training Uzamaki Naruto." The Sandaime finished

He sat back in his seat waiting for the inevitable argument that he was sure to come. A smug look came across his face as he thought of his counter argument.

"Okay." Was the sole word that left Itachi's mouth.

Sarutobi was leaning forward on his seat as he spoke.

"Well you see Itachi-kun.-"His eyes visibly widened. "What?!" He spluttered.

"But…You!"

"Yes Hokage-sama" The ever cool Uchiha heir replied, his amusement cleverly hidden behind his features.

"Why aren't you arguing, I'm making you train the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki?" He accused running a hand over his face.

Planting his ANBU mask back on his face, Itachi coolly stood up giving the hokage his full attention. "It is advantageous to me too Hokage-san" He whispered in a low tone.

The Hokage looked up his gaze calculating. "If anything happens to that boy…" He left the threat dangling in the air.

Itachi nodded he knew exactly what he was getting himself into.

"Dismissed" The hokage waved, as a plume of leaves landed on his floor.

The third only hoped he'd made the right decision, Itachi was unpredictable but he was loyal to Konoha, he knew Naruto was in safe hands. But the council would cause a bug uproar about this.

Especially Fugaku he morbidly thought, things were already fragile enough between the boy and his father.

Sighing he reached into his drawer, for his trusty old friend sake. Gulping down a cupful, he silently prayed to Kami that nothing bad would come of this, he already had enough to deal with as it was.

If he only knew how wrong he was.

Itachi silently slid the door close, as he stepped into the house, it had been chaos the moment he had stepped out of the Hokage's building. Two of his ANBU teammates had been killed, and he had been furiously working twice his load after a dispatching a retrieval team.

And the clan leaders were at it again, he had been asked 16 times altogether now to do a demonstration at the Police station, but he had steadfastly refused. He was already dubbed "The Traitor" why bother improving their set opinion of him. Everywhere he worked there seemed to be a small section of the Uchiha clan after him, or the Nara clan asking for a round of shogi, not forgetting the Akimichi clan's insistence for him to dine with them. At this point Itachi had wanted to rip his hair out, but he had instead studiously repeated the Ninja code of conduct in his head fifty times.

He trailed into the kitchen silently hoping his Okaa-san had gone grocery shopping a hand reached out to open the fridge door when he heard the solemn voice of his father.

"Where have you been Itachi?" was the demanding sentence uttered into the suddenly tense atmosphere.

Not bothering to turn around, Itachi replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I had ANBU assignments"

"Really" His father said coming closer. "Because Taru-san saw you entering the Hokage's office"

Itachi turned around and stared at his father.

"I was under the assumption that Taru- san had better things to do, then be the Uchiha's watchdog" he coldly replied.

"You know full well that's not what I'm asking Itachi."

The ghost of a smile graced Itachi's face, as he watched with increasing pleasure as his father paced the room.

"You have a duty to the clan first and foremost to tell us what the Hokage orders you to do." He snarled punctuating each sentence with an angry swipe of his hand.

The smile was immediately wiped off his face. Always the clan, never anything else, the clan comes first. Father you are blinded by power and your insane notion that I will lead this clan to victory.

"My duty is to the village Otou-san, I am a shinobi first and an _Uchiha_ second." He calmly stated.

"No Itachi, you will open your ears, and you will listen to me." Fugaku angrily swiped coming dangerously close to Itachi.

"You are an Uchiha, Itachi, No matter how many times you go to the hokage's office, no matter how many assignments you do, no matter how many missions you complete. You will always belong to the clan-!" He finished spittle flying from his mouth.

"Is that it Father, is that all I am meant to be – a mindless lackey, a tool! Shackled to the clan, forever obliging your whimsical notions, and showing the other clans how _powerful _we truly are?!" He sneered dark eyes boring into his fathers face.

"You are an Uchiha, Itachi.- That is final, you cant change who you are or what you've done in the name of the clan and that is definite, now tell me what you spoke of with the Hokage." He ordered.

"No Otou-san what _you_ have made me do in the name of the clan, your sick schemes that you planted in my head during the academy, promising me strength beyond my years and the admiration of the _Uchiha_. I will not bow down to you anymore-" He responded moving towards the door and blocking out his fathers incensed look.

Fugaku blocked his path, placing a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"I will not ask you again Itachi. Answer me…"

"It is private Father, I am under rules as a shinobi of the village-"

Fugaku's hand moved at a pace faster then even Itachi could comprehend and backhanded his son across the face, moving it with the force of impact.

Not a word was said into the tense silence, as Itachi registered his father stepping back from him.

"You are an Uchiha, Itachi!" his father growled, the words reverberating around Itachi's head.

The two stared each other down, Fugaku with disdain written clearly on his features, and Itachi with resigned aloofness.

Slowly Itachi trekked towards the door his hand meticulously opening the door.

"Maybe I'm sick of being an Uchiha , Father…" He whispered into the still night the words hanging in the air and bringing with them a new level of distrust and malevolence between Father and Son.

(End Flashback)

Swhip-Swhip!- The methodic sharpening had a slightly more angrier tone to it now. Itachi shifted in the tree making him self more comfortable.

He would be meeting the Jinchuuriki tomorrow, his father and the clan could wait. He had long ago realized that he wasn't a part of the Uchiha.

With their idealistic views and their belief that the Sharingan was undefeatable, Itachi just shook his head- he was just remorseful for his otouto, he knew how cruel his father could be when he wanted to extract power.

The jagged scar hidden beneath his clothing was evidence of this- evidence for how twisted the Uchiha would go to extrapolate power. Shisui didn't understand this; he thought that Fugaku was the answer to all his problems. What he didn't understand was that the clan head was only using him as a ploy, a way to get Itachi back with the Uchiha, slowly planting ideas that Itachi knew only too well, ideas that he regretted believing to this day.

In one night he had been reminded of the loss he had experienced at the hands of his father. His childhood, his innocence, his bonds, his humanity and most of all his identity.

One single lone tear ran down his face, the only sign of his sadness.

Yes he was sick of being an Uchiha.

AU: If you had read up to this far Thank you so much! I plan for this to be a long fic and if you stick with me then I'm sure we can somehow waddle through this. This is my first fic so be kind. Constructive criticism is welcome. Reviews even more .


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